Weekly Recap

Here is a recap of my favorite posts from the last week:

Is Your Worship Music Driven by Complaints or Mission in Context?

"Whether or not having multiple service styles is appropriate depends heavily on the motivation behind the services. Are they driven by a consumerist mindset, seeking to cater to the preferences of the audience, or are they fueled by a desire to worship in a way that matches the context(s) of the congregation and surrounding community?"

This was an article that hit very close to home! My church is in the middle of working through this very issue, and we've had to ponder the pros and cons of having multiple services. I think that Ed Stetzer offers a very helpful litmus test. [Click here to read the article]

Why some Christian leaders fail.

God will never be handcuffed by your failures or unleashed by your successes.
He doesn’t need me to complete him. He is already complete. He doesn’t need me to play my role in his story or it won’t be told. It will be, his plan will be done, regardless of my ability to do it. He doesn’t need me, he loves me. He invites me into his story and allows me to be part of it as an act of love not desperation. There’s a big difference.
- See more at: http://stuffchristianslike.net/2014/03/26/christian-leaders-fail/#comment-194539

"God will never be handcuffed by your failures or unleashed by your successes... He invites me into his story and allows me to be part of it as an act of love, not desperation. There's a big difference."

Jon Acuff warns against falling into the trap of thinking that God needs us. This is something I've thought and said before, but something I still need to be reminded of myself! [Click here to read more]

Rend Collective Smashes Previous Sales Record as Worship Album Tops iTunes

"Dove Award-nominated Irish worshippers and modern day psalmists Rend Collective released their fourth and 5-Star acclaimed album, The Art of Celebration, globally from Integrity Music on St. Patrick's Day. The album immediately soared to the top of retail charts internationally, becoming their biggest selling debut and spending time at No. 1 as the best-selling album of any genre at iTunes® and Amazon.com worldwide."

I love Rend Collective! It was pretty cool to see a worship album hit No. 1 on iTunes - a big congrats to them! I'm thinking I really need to get out to see them next time they're in Chicagoland - who's with me?! [Click here to read the story (and here an awesome Irish accent) and check out the lyric video to "More Than Conquerors" below - it's pretty much my new favorite song!]

Religious tide turns against 'Noah'

"It's tough to make movies for the easily offended"

I want to see this movie. I mean, c'mon, it's Russell Crowe! I was sorting through all kinds of reviews, trying to figure out which one best piqued my interest. But it was this article that most interested me, even though it's not really about the movie itself - it's about the reaction to the movie. Frankly, I have been a little embarrassed by the reactions of my fellow Christians... If you don't agree with the movie, fine, but don't be so obnoxious about it. Are you really expecting Hollywood to have the same convictions about Scripture as you? But I digress... [Click here to read the article]

What about you? Are you going to go see Noah? Why or why not? Or if you have seen it, what did you think? Let me know in the comments! (No spoilers please - I haven't seen the movie and I don't want to know whether or not Noah survives!)